A Comeback for the Ages
Sara Bejlek is making waves at the Cincinnati Open, and the 20-year-old Czech is not done yet. After stunning world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round and eliminating Barbora Krejcikova earlier in the draw, Bejlek topped off her impressive run by defeating Madison Keys 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in the quarterfinals to reach her first ever WTA 1000 semifinal.
The match was anything but straightforward. Bejlek dropped the opening set and found herself trailing 3-1 in the second before reeling off five of the next six games to level things up. When Keys pushed ahead 4-2 in the deciding tiebreak, Bejlek once again dug deep, eventually sealing the victory after two hours and 37 minutes. Reflecting on her recent form, Bejlek credited a candid conversation with her team as a turning point, saying it helped her grow in self-belief and physical performance on court. She already holds one WTA title, the Abu Dhabi Open in February, which she claimed as a qualifier.
Gauff Riding Net-Play Wave
Waiting in the semifinals is fourth seed Coco Gauff, who dismantled Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-2 to reach her third consecutive semifinal. Gauff's recent surge has been fueled by a tactical shift: attacking the net more aggressively. She credited her breakthrough at Wimbledon as the moment she realized how effective her net game could be, and even mentioned that tennis legend Chris Evert had been encouraging her to make that change for some time.
With the US Open beginning in New York on August 30, both players have strong motivation to build momentum heading into the final Grand Slam of the year. TennisDraw users have been tracking Bejlek's remarkable run closely, with many bracket entries now reflecting her as a genuine dark horse to go all the way.
